Residents Balk Over Sewer Cost

York Officials Hear Complaints About Proposal

YORK — Residents of Green Springs in the county's Bruton area say they want sewer service but do not want to pay $6,400 each to get it.

"Most people in this area are retired," said Sondra Markoff. "People don't have money like that."

York officials heard similar protests from many residents who attended a meeting Monday night to explain a proposal to bring sewer service to 78 homes in Green Springs, just north of Williamsburg.

The county has proposed that 649 residents in Green Springs, Seaford, Mill Cove and Tabb Terrace pay $6,400 upfront or $3,000 upfront and $43 every two months for 30 years to receive sewer service. Other residents who do not have sewer service would eventually receive it for about the same price, according to the proposal.

Hundreds of Seaford residents have signed a petition that supports sewer service at a lower price. About 70 Green Springs residents added their names to the list Monday.

"It's prohibitively costly," Janice Roark said.

Nancy Ibison said she has occasional problems with her septic tank drainfield and would gladly pay something to receive sewer service. "Maybe at a lower fee, people will be interested," she said.

Several residents suggested that the Board of Supervisors either raise the county subsidy for the sewer projects or support a meal tax earmarked for sewers. York residents voted down a meal tax in 1988, but many complained that they did not know how the revenue would be spent.

Sandra Lubbers, supervisor for the Bruton area, said she is "willing to pursue" a meal tax to pay for sewer service.

"It would be hard for me to support more money from the general funds," Lubbers said. Under the proposal, general funds - revenue raised from all taxpayers - would pay about 25 percent of the $5 million cost to provide sewers to the areas now under consideration.

Several residents said Monday that York's government has long ignored the less-populous Bruton area in favor of providing service for residents in the southern part of the county.

Stuck, who declined to answer that question, said he was "not here tonight to sell you something."

County officials "work for you," Stuck said. "If you can find a better way to do it, believe me, we are open."

Ed Markoff, president of the Green Springs Area Civic Association, said residents supported similar - and cheaper - proposals before and never received sewer service.

In the 1960s and the 1980s, "we had a good plan and everybody agreed to it," Markoff said. "The county said no."

Supervisor Ward Anderson, who represents Seaford but attended Monday's meeting, said he is convinced the county needs to re-evaluate the cost of the current proposal.

"I think the price is going to have to come down and we are going to have to find more funds," he said.

Monday's gathering was the first of three meetings scheduled to explain the sewer proposal. The county will hold a meeting at 7 tonight at York High School for Seaford residents and at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Tabb Intermediate School for Mill Cove and Tabb Terrace residents.